This content was published on December 16, 2021 – 05:19
Beijing, Dec 16 (EFE) .- A flood has left 22 people trapped in an illegal mine in the city of Xiaoyi, in the central province of Shanxi, the state-run CCTV reported today.
The accident happened at 11:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday (15:00 GMT) at a mine in which some residents were extracting coal “illegally,” according to Xiaoyi authorities.
Rescue teams have already been deployed to carry out rescue tasks, which include the use of numerous pipes to drain the mine.
However, the tasks will be hampered by the illegal nature of the mine, which means that authorities do not have clear information about the land, according to CCTV.
The state media also cited the low temperatures in Xiaoyi, which will drop to 10 degrees below zero today, as another obstacle to rescue.
Irregular mining continues to be a persistent problem in the country despite government efforts in recent years to end it.
Recently, Shaanxi province, where the accident took place, announced a round of inspections to crack down on illegal mining in the region, one of China’s largest coal producers.
They also want mining companies not to exceed their coal production quotas, the price of which reached record highs in the country last October.
However, prices have stabilized after authorities increased production of the resource to deal with the energy supply problems that the country suffered last fall.
Coal-fired power plants are responsible for around 60% of China’s energy production, which last year pledged, through its president, Xi Jinping, to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. EFE
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